Accurascale ACC3156 Class 37/9 37902 "British Steel Llanwern" Railfreight Metals Diesel Locomotive

Expected Delivery Q4 2025 (Subject to Change at Manufacturer's Discretion).

History

Introduced in 1986-7, the repowered Class 37/9s were an off-shoot of the ill-fated ‘Class 38’ project, a proposed 1,800-2,250hp Class 31/33/37 replacement with the haulage capability of a Class 56 or 58. As many as 500 units were planned, which attracted significant interest from locomotive builders and engine manufacturers from the UK, Europe and the USA. Two British manufacturers quickly established themselves among the front runners with engine designs that boasted incredible fuel efficiency.

The Mirrlees Blackstone MB275T from Hawker Siddeley and the Ruston RK270T from GEC Transportation, could both develop over 2,000hp from a straight six cylinder layout, providing a significant reduction in maintenance costs. Having both passed BR’s punishing approval process, a further further two-year trial was undertaken using six Class 37 donors that were undergoing ‘refurbishment’ at BREL Crewe Works. As the Mirrlees unit was slightly heavier than the English Electric 12CSVT they were replacing, they were included in the 120-tonne ballasted group, otherwise known as ‘heavyweights’.

Hawker Siddeley offered four engines for Nos. 37901-4 and these were mated to a Brush BA1005A alternator, while the Ruston in Nos. 37905/6 was partnered with GEC G546AZ electrical equipment. Both engines were set to deliver just 1,800hp to avoid overloading the existing EE traction motors. There were external modifications too. The Mirrlees unit with silencer was longer and taller than unit it replaced, resulting in a new ‘peaked’ roof, while the Ruston, which tipped the scales at just 13.75 tons, also featured a revised roof to accommodate a new silencer layout.

The first pair, Nos. 37901/2 (ex-37150 and 37148), left Crewe at the end of October 1986, while the two Rustons (ex-37136 and 37206) were completed by mid-December. Nos. 37903 (ex-37249) and 37904 (ex-37125) followed in February and April 1987 respectively. Cardiff Canton was chosen to look after the small fleet and these were allocated to the Metals sub-sector for local steel operations, although they were also fitted with slow-speed control for coal duties. All were delivered in Railfreight grey, with No. 37901 quickly being named Mirrlees Pioneer and No. 37905 Vulcan Enterprise.

The Class 37/9s quickly found their feet, despite being intensively diagrammed, and working in pairs had no problem taking over from the double-headed Class 56s on the 3,060-tonne Port Talbot-Llanwern iron ore trains. However, they were found to load much more slowly leading to the ‘slug’ nickname for the class. Their reliability was also impressive, although some issues were experienced with both the turbochargers and the silencer configurations on both designs. The latter resulted in both types receiving modified roof layouts.

Unfortunately, the ‘Class 38’ project was cancelled in December 1987. Despite this setback, BR chose to purchase the engines rather than return them to standard condition. Happily, the incredible fuel efficiency and extended maintenance periodicity displayed by the Mirrlees design likely contributed to Brush winning the Class 60 contract in 1988, and this was specified with the eight-cylinder version of the power unit.

By August 1988, Nos. 37903/6 had both been outshopped in the new triple-grey Metals scheme, with Nos. 37904/5 being similarly repainted in 1990 and Nos. 37901/2 in March 1991, by which point the fleet was beginning to wander much further afield. However, it wasn’t long before their non-standard nature began to count against them and nearly all spent periods in store during the 1990s. While all six passed to Trainload Freight South West / Transrail in 1994, with Nos. 37901/6 also receiving big ‘T’ logos, No. 37904 was the first to be permanently stopped at Canton in April 1996.

The resurgence of freight in the early EWS era saw regular work return for the remaining quintet, but with Class 66s starting to arrive the inevitable was held off only until November and December 1998 when Nos. 37901 and 37903/5 were also sidelined. The final pair, Nos. 37902/6, were switched off in January 1999, although unofficially named No. 37906 Star of the East was reprieved as part of the EWS ‘heritage fleet’ for galas and open days and was even repainted back into Railfreight grey ahead of the Old Oak Common open day in August 2000.

No. 37903 was scrapped at Crewe Diesel in October 2005, while No. 37904 suffered the same fate at CF Booth, Rotherham, in November 2004. No. 37902 was acquired by Direct Rail Services in 2002, which then disposed of it to Sims Metals, Beeston, in April 2005 after cancelling its overhaul. Happily, No. 37901 was saved in 2003 and was a regular performer in preservation before being acquired by Colas Rail and then Europhoenix in 2016 and gaining the operator’s house colours. It subsequently returned to main line operations in 2022 for the EP Rail ‘spot hire’ subsidiary and was recently repainted back into Railfreight Metals livery. The two Ruston locos also both worked in preservation at various points over the last 20 years, although they are now owned by UK Rail Leasing and are undergoing a slow return back to operational, albeit non main line, condition.

Common Features:

• Highly detailed OO scale model, 1:76.2
• Heavy die-cast metal chassis
• Accurate tumbleholme, nose, cab roof and cantrail curves taken from 3D Laser scan and extensive surveys
• Timeframe specific details, including but not limited to;
• Bogies (Fabricated and three variations of Cast)
• Fuel tanks (As built and with later smooth-sided long range fuel tank)
• Early Class 37/0 features frost grille, boiler filler panel and access steps
• Early Class 37/0 features illuminated split headcode displays with a selection of different four-character headcodes
• Class 37/6 have operational WIPAC light clusters and top headlight and numerous different nose slides all including multiple working socket
• Three styles of buffer: large round Oleo, oval and squared oval
• Three styles of nose grilles: as built, refurbished ‘split’ and refurbished ‘single piece’
• Boiler exhaust, and two styles of plated boiler panel
• With or without bufferbeam skirts
• With or without cab roof vents and bodyside windows
• Nose and roof aerials and antennas (where applicable)
• Three styles of windscreen: standard, centre toughened and all toughened
• Three styles of cab interior: as built, refurbished and modern DRS locos
• Four bufferbeam variations with different piping configurations
• Door kickplates where applicable

• Multiple body and nose slides to accurately represent almost every member of the class, including three variations of cantrail grille: early EE (for D6700-D6704), later EE and RSH
• Four roof styles: Original double riveted, single riveted, welded and welded with antennas
• Separately applied etched metal and high fidelity plastic detail parts, including grab handles, aerials, steps, wipers, nameplates, crests and more.
• Etched metal door kickplates (where applicable), ‘frost’ grille (where applicable) & super fine etched metal roof grille
• Scale width wire handrails
• Turned brass roof-mounted horns on centre headcode examples
• Full underbody tank detail with brackets and pipework
• Bogies feature separate footsteps, etched footsteps, brake cylinders, speed recorder, end brake rigging and very fine brake chain
• Brake blocks on trucks (bogies) in line with wheels (can be moved for EM/P4 gauges)
• Numerous other locomotive-specific details yet to be revealed!
• RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with fine scale ‘drop in’ EM (18.2mm gauge) and P4 (18.83mm gauge) wheels available separately
• Accurate high-fidelity miniature snowploughs
• Fully sprung metal buffers, extra-fine factory-installed pipework and screw couplings
• Correct height mini-tension-lock couplers with NEM socket as well as a fully detailed bufferbeam
• Provided DCC ready [21Pin MTX Socket] or Factory DCC Sound Fitted [ESU LokSound 5]
• Every model includes PowerPack / Backup Power Capacitor Bank for up to ten seconds of power free running, flicker free lighting and continuous sound
• DCC Sound Versions include;
• ESU LokSound V5 DCC Chip
• Customised Dual-Speaker Technology with;
• Large EM2 Style Bass Speaker
• Smaller 'iphone' style cube for higher frequencies

• High Performance traction, to include;
• High-quality five-pole motor with two flywheels
• Metal Helical Gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running
• Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale top speed of 100 mph (160 km/h)
• DCC ready with PowerPack Super-capacitor for uninterrupted power and super low speed running
• All wheel drive and all wheel pickup

• Fully detailed Lighting Pack, including:
• Directional lighting on DC and DCC
• Fully functional Headlights per prototype
• Engine Bay Lighting (with visible Prime Mover)
• WIPAC light clusters where appropriate with day and night-time settings
• Separately switched cab lighting and illuminated, details driver’s console, auto off on movement
• Switchable red tail lights

• RP25-110 wheels OO wheels with provision for re-gauging to p4 and EM gauge
• Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track)